It was business as usual this morning for one of Ripon’s most popular cafe bistros following a break-in in the early hours.

The entrance door to Oliver’s Pantry was extensively damaged by criminals when they forced their way in.

Tim Grant, who jointly owns Oliver’s Pantry with his wife Lou, told the Stray Ferret:

“Words fail me, we could have done with this like a hole in the head.

“Things are hard enough for the hospitality sector, but we’ve just had to get on with sorting things out.

“We’ve been in contact with the police and our insurers, have carried out a clean up and we are open.”

The couple managed to retain their sense of humour by putting up a sign telling people they were still open — and had cake.

The Grants have run the business on North Street for 12 years and Mr Grant added:

“Fortunately whoever did this didn’t steal anything, but they smashed the door in and caused a mess.”

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• Ripon Curzon set to be turned into community cinema
• River pollution in the spotlight at Ripon green fair

The closure of the Curzon cinema in Ripon will not signal the end of big screen entertainment for city film lovers.

The Stray Ferret revealed last week the city’s only cinema will close on  July 1 having failed to recover from covid.

But Sterne Properties Ltd, which owns the North Street premises that have been home to Curzon since 2013, has big plans for the building.

They include retaining one of the cinema screens to be run as a volunteer-led community project, following similar ventures across the UK.

In addition, the Ripon-based property development and investment company also wants to create new family-friendly facilities on site, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

Director Robert Sterne told the Stray Ferret:

“It was disappointing to learn that Curzon have taken the decision to close their Ripon branch after operating the city’s cinema for the last decade.

“It has unquestionably been a valued asset to the community and it is sad to hear from many regular cinema goers to whom it’s a great loss.

“We have worked closely with Curzon to ensure the cinema’s success and when the pandemic struck we reduced the rent by half during and post-covid, which was conditional on them being open and serving the community.

“However in spite of our support and due to increasing economic pressures it has now become unviable for Curzon to remain open.

“We are now endeavouring to agree terms in order to take back possession of the premises – they are 10 years into a 25-year lease. Only then can we move forward with exciting new plans for our building.”

Looking to the future, Mr Sterne added:

“Film lovers can take comfort that one cinema screen will be retained to be run as a community project. That way overheads, and therefore ticket prices, can be reduced whilst continuing to show a range of great films and streaming of live events.

“In addition we are proposing to create a hub for the benefit of local and visiting families with a play centre, baby sensory activities, café/restaurant and retail unit. This is something that has been under-provided locally and for which we see a strong demand.”

Jake Garriock, head of distribution strategy and group publicity at Curzon, explained the reason behind the company’s plans to close its Ripon cinema last week.

He said:

“The cinema has specific challenges that have meant it has not recovered as we hoped after the pandemic.

“In recent years, with several new purpose-built cinemas opening in the area, the local audience has been spread too thinly for Ripon to thrive.”

Sterne Properties, which is also planning a community regeneration of Ripon Spa Baths, hopes to have the Curzon building back open to the public next year.

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• Curzon confirms closure of Ripon cinema
• Councillors call for ‘comprehensive resurfacing’ of Ripon city centre roads

The hot topic of river pollution will come under the spotlight at the community group Ripon Together‘s first-ever green fair on Sunday.

Katie Reeves, a director of Some Consulting — a Ripon-based environmental consultancy — will address the issue at 2.30pm in Ripon Town Hall

Ms Reeves, a member of the Ripon Together environmental group, will look at the measures people can take to help make Ripon’s Ure, Skell and Laver rivers cleaner, better for wildlife and for everyone.

Mike Kaye of Energy Oasis, will give presentations and answer questions about renewable energy for farms, businesses and community projects at 11am and 1pm.

Details of all speakers and organisations involved with the fair can be found by clicking here.

Running from 10am until 4pm, it will be held at Ripon Town Hall and on Market Square, where city councillor Jackie Crozier, owner of Little Bird Artisan Markets, has allocated space for a number of environmentally-focused organisations to have stalls.

Ripon Together director David Ingham, said:

“We’re bringing together professionals, organisations and volunteers who are keen to see environmental improvements across the city and who can advise people on what they can do and who to work with.

“We’ve been supported by Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal and some of their team will be part of the artisan market, talking about their environmental work and hosting children and family activities.”

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Firefighters have been tackling a major incident in Ripon this evening in which fire has badly damaged three homes in Magdalens Close.

There are no reported casualties.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said a gas leak is believed to have caused the fire.

Crews from Ripon, Harrogate, Northallerton, Boroughbridge, Bedale and Thirsk were summoned to a row of three brick-built terraced houses.

It is understood the fire began around 7pm in the roof void of one of the properties and spread to the two adjoining houses.

Residents of the close watched as firefighters dealt with the blaze and brought it under control.

Police and paramedics were on the scene and a section of Magdalens Road between Princess Road and North Bridge was shut while emergency services handled the incident.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:

“The fire spread rapidly to the property located to the left.

“Crews sectorised the fire and used two hose reel jets, four main jets and numerous breathing apparatus sets to tackle the fire.

“A gas leak was located in one of the properties so a gas engineer was requested to attend. Crews brought the fire under control and managed to prevent further spread to the last property.”

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• Ripon City Council objects to plans for 80-bed care home
• Curzon to close Ripon cinema

Concerns about the impact on neighbouring residential properties have prompted Ripon councillors to object to plans for a care home development on Stonebridgegate.

As a statutory consultee, the objection will be considered when the application is determined by North Yorkshire Council planners.

The proposed development by Muller Property Group at the T&R Williamson Business Park (pictured), would involve the demolition of existing industrial units and construction of a care home of up to 80 bedrooms, with associated parking and landscaping.

The outline planning application for the 0.61 hectare site, was considered by members at Monday’s full Ripon City Council meeting, where Cllr Julie Ann Martin-Long led the objections.

She said:

“The proposed building will be up to three storeys in height and will dominate neighbouring residential properties, which is unacceptable.

“It will also generate additional traffic close to a busy junction, with Aldi, the police and fire station and Marks & Spencer all nearby.”

The nearby Aldi in Ripon

Councillor Eamon Parkin, said:

“I’m concerned about the impact that a building of this height would have on its neighbours and for that reason I think we should object to it.”

A design, character and access statement prepared by ADG Architects in  support of the application on the North Yorkshire Council planning portal, stated:

“The building is expected to be 2.5 to 3 storeys in height to reflect the surrounding context. The lower ridge height and gable roof would be placed to the north of the site which has neighbouring residential properties.”

The statement added:

“There is a dense tree line to the north, east and west boundaries of the site, these provide a natural screen to the neighbouring properties to increase privacy.

“The trees along the boundary lines also create a buffer to reduce noise from Stonebridgegate and the surrounding highways network.”

In her comments on the proposed development, which can also be found on the planning portal, Anne Sims, North Yorkshire Council’s principal conservation officer said:

“The new building, although set back from the road side, sits much higher than the neighbouring two storey terraces along Stonebridgegate
(within the Conservation Area).

“To improve the design, there should be two storey elements, especially closer to the road and close to the existing two storey terraces and adjacent to the conservation area.”

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• Plan to convert former Ripon dentist premises into flat

A children’s playground at Quarry Moor Park in Ripon will remain closed for the foreseeable future because of ongoing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

The decision to maintain the closure was taken by councillors in private session at Monday evening’s Ripon City Council meeting and confirmed in a statement on the council’s Facebook page.

It said that the council “regretfully resolved not to reinstate the playground at Quarry Moor at the present time”.

It added:

“Unfortunately the site is being vandalised almost daily. We are working with North Yorkshire Police who are responding to the regular reports of anti-social behaviour when they occur.

“Until we can plan a way forward with our partners that includes measures that impact on the behaviour at the site we are unable to commit funds to the playground.”

The statement added:

“We appreciate that this is caused by a small minority and that it is affecting our residents using the site. We are actively seeking solutions to the issue (and) will provide a further update as soon as possible.”

Quarry Moor is funded by an annual grant from the city council and the budget for 2023-24 is £15,000.

The playground has remained closed since a vandal attack In March and this followed a six-month closure from September 2021 due to a rat infestation which was eradicated after rubbish bins were removed from the site.

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• Councillors call for ‘comprehensive resurfacing’ of Ripon city centre roads
• Child airlifted to hospital after collision outside school near Ripon

Councillors are calling for damaged roads in Ripon city centre to be resurfaced with tarmac as a matter of urgency.

The principal areas of concern are the four roads around Market Square where block paving has lifted and cracked because of the volume of traffic.

In recent years North Yorkshire Council has carried out temporary repairs by putting tarmac over the worst-affected sections, leaving the surface looking like a patchwork quilt.

Roads around the market are the main concern.

On Friday, city council leader Andrew Williams will tour Ripon with North Yorkshire highways officials to show them where problems exist with cracked and uneven roads and pavements.

At Monday evening’s full council meeting, he said:

“There are many parts of Ripon where repair and renewal is required, but the dangerous state of the roads around Market Square is totally unacceptable for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists and the temporary fixes just don’t work.

“These are the busiest roads in the city centre and comprehensive resurfacing works need to be included in North Yorkshire Highways capital programme as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Williams’ proposal, which calls on North Yorkshire to make the work a priority, was unanimously supported by fellow councillors.

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• Ripon Hospital to carry out more health checks following £1 million award
• A weekend of family fun at Ripon festival

The focus was on family fun in the sun as Ripon Theatre Festival’s outdoor performers took centre stage over the weekend.

Yesterday’s bright sunshine brought hundreds of children, along with parents and grandparents to Spa Gardens, where they saw puppets, pirates, a Noah’s Ark show (pictured below) musicians, singers, dancers and many more entertainers.

Among them was Rhubarb Theatre (see main picture), which provided an interactive experience for the audience combining street entertainment with family games, featuring characters inspired by Lewis Carroll’s wonderland creations.

On Saturday, Ripon city centre Market Square, Minster Gardens, The Arcade, North Street and Kirkgate and Westgate, were among the venues for a eclectic mixture of alfresco theatrical performances, while the Flying Dodos and other puppet characters roamed the streets.

The Flying Dodos on North Street

Ripon Arts Hub, the cathedral, Curzon Cinema, the Claro Lounge, Wetherspoon’s Unicorn Hotel, the library and The Little Ripon Bookshop and Workhouse Museum, also hosted indoor festival events.

The Strange Twig pirates in Spa Gardens

Ian Gouge 

At Curzon Cinema, Ripon-based award-winning author and poet Ian Gouge, gave a premiere performance of his dramatic poem Crash while on Market Square, a large crowd gathered for a whole host of acts, including The Giant Balloon Show (pictured below).

Just a hop and a skip away at the cathedral, Ripon City Morris Dancers  attracted a large gathering as did dancers of a different kind when Sarita McDermott and her team of Bollywood-style performers, Bethany, Matthew and Martin, from Jennyruth Workshops, performed in Spa Gardens.

Ripon City Morris Dancers

Sarita McDermott (right) with the Bollywood dancers.

While it was a weekend for enjoyment across the city, the daily hardship of a life in poverty was given a dramatic twist at the Workshouse Museum.

Through interactive displays and presentations, volunteers in period costume told the story of what it was like for some of Ripon’s Victorian forebears.

Volunteers Lindy (left) and Judy showed visitors what wash day in the Workhouse was like for its Victorian inmates

The finale of Ripon’s second theatre festival came yesterday evening with Illyria’s action-packed production of Robin Hood  at Fountains Abbey and as the curtain came down on this year’s event, festival director Katie Scott (pictured below) told the Stray Ferret:

“It has been a great success. Building on last year’s launch we have seen increased ticket sales and hundreds of people attending the free outdoor events and pop up shows.

“This gives us a tremendous platform for next year.”

Festival director Katie Scott

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• Free festival for disabled children returns to Ripon
• Plan to convert Ripon dentist premises into flat

Following the departure of its director of museums, Helen Thornton, Ripon Museum Trust has begun the search for her successor.

Ms Thornton, who was director for four covid-affected years, has left the heritage sector to take up the post of town clerk for Baildon in West Yorkshire.

The trust, which since 2020, has been awarded financial support totalling more than £500,000 from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund said in a statement it was seeking a new director “to provide inspiring and collaborative leadership”.

It added the successful candidate would be “a transformational leader” with “proven management and leadership experience, that will enable Ripon Museum Trust to realise their potential to become a museum with a national profile”.

The new director will be involved in shaping the strategic direction and delivery of the The Workhouse, Prison & Police and Old Courthouse museums at a pivotal point in the trust’s 41-year history, amid a development phase bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Richard Taylor, chair of the board of trustees said:

“Ripon Museum Trust is a close-knit community with strong values of fairness, ambition, community, team-work and learning. We are really excited to be recruiting for this role and look forward to welcoming a new director of museums at this important part of our journey.”

Read more:

• Arts Council announces £400,000 funding programme for Ripon’s three museums
• Lottery Fund provides £100,000 boost for Ripon heritage attractions